Nathaniel was grateful that the press conference had been delayed as long as it had. This had given him time to catch his breath, to think and consider things. There was a lot to think about now: The Coalition were not the only Enhanced, and the only other one that they knew about was stronger than the whole team, combined. Not to mention that this person, someone that was left unnamed (a few press companies were coining names for the villain, but nothing had stuck yet), had killed the Mayor.

Throughout their entire tenure, since nearly the day the Coalition had been formed, Mayor Brenton Wesley had been their friend. One of the few people to advocate for, rather than against, them in the beginning, the Mayor had taken a great risk in giving the Coalition as much freedom as he did. When there was the chance to put more regulations on them, Mayor Wesley had declined. When the Detroit Daily Journal had first declared them dangerous vigilantes, Mayor Wesley had been quick to publically announce his support of the group, going so far as to name them official members of Detroit Law Enforcement.

When Nathaniel had brought up the unexpected necessity of room and board for the team, the Mayor had outdone himself, handing them a huge office complex, all their own, and even given them a huge budget for revamping it — with the Coalition’s influence, crime rates had dropped, and there was money lying around that had been poured into ineffective security measures.

When Brenton Wesley, Nathaniel’s friend, and a beloved guiding light in the darkness of their once great, but fallen city, had died… he’d written Nathaniel Shroud as one of his pallbearers. Not the Sentinel; Nathaniel himself, the man. It had been written into his will that Nathaniel be one of the six people to lower him into the ground and, with tears in his eyes, he’d done just that. After the funeral, there had been a brief lull in his routine. There was little crime left in the city and, despite their best efforts to hunt him down, the Villain had seemingly disappeared into thin air.

Now, seven days after the catastrophic event, Nathaniel was making an appearance in public, at a press conference. His presence had been requested by the new Mayor, Liam Foster, and of course the Sentinel had accepted. There was not a reason for him to decline, and he knew deep down that it was almost necessary that he show up. There was going to be a storm coming, and he had to make sure that he was at the eye of it before anything even began.

Standing in front of the cameras, which were constantly flashing, Nathaniel was at the stand. After the cameras started to die down, he spoke, selecting a random reporter in the audience to begin. “Go ahead.” He was not ready for this, not prepared. He didn’t know what they were going to ask, and he didn’t know how he would answer. His best, and frankly only, option was to answer straight from the heart. Total honesty, no PR show.

“Since the tragedy that happened a week ago, everyone has been wondering: does the Coalition know who executed the attack?” The reported readied his pen and Nathaniel visibly grimaced, broadcasted around the world, live in HD. Great.

It was a heavy hitting first question, and the answer was going to sting more than he was ready for. “No, we have not yet pinpointed the origins of the assassin. Almost 24/7, though, my team is working on it. We will find the perpetrator of this attack.”

Almost immediately after he finished his response, another reporter spoke up. “The battle that you had with the terrorist who murdered Mayor Wesley was catastrophic. If something like that happened within city limits, and not in the abandoned area that it had, how would your team have contained it? If what we’ve been led to believe is true - that this attacker is also Enhanced - how can you plan to ensure our safety in the ensuing battle if your team finds him?”

“My team won’t let anything happen to our city. If he appears within city limits, the fight will either be held off, or we’ll lead him elsewhere. Trust me when I say this, the Coalition’s priority is the safety of Detroit, first and foremost, our own safety secondary.”

“How do we know you’re not working with him?”

Nathaniel glared at the reporter that had asked that question. Was it even a serious question? Of course it was. “We are absolutely not affiliated with anyone who would do something so… frankly, so evil. Mayor Wesley was my friend, a man I looked up to and respected dearly. You’ll have to take my word for it, but I promise you that no one on the team is working with the man responsible for all of this.”

There was a sudden cacophony of voices as the reporters clamored to talk over one another, trying to get in a last burst of questions before the conference ended. “If there are more Enhanced out there, how can we locate them? Will they be regulated? Will you be working to find and locate them? Will they be brought in to join the Coalition?”

These were excellent questions. Later, Nathaniel would have to discuss them further with the other members of his team, preferably the… smarter ones, like Austin. Could they locate others? Were there even more? “At this time, I and my team are of the idea that there aren’t any others. If there are, they will be welcome to join us. I can’t answer questions about regulations; I’m not a politician.”

“The Coalition plans to find this assailant and… do what, exactly? If he beat you so handily before, how can you possibly fight him again?” This time, two rapid fire questions from the same journalist.

“Like any other criminal, he will be brought to justice. I understand that our last showing against him was certainly not up to par, but you have to realize that we were caught off guard. We didn’t expect what he was bringing to the table. We weren’t prepared and the next time we see him, it will be a different story. We’ll be ready for him, and on my honor. We will take him down.”

---

---

Nathan was quick to leave the conference after the questions were finally brought to an end. The Coalition’s leader was eager to get back to their Watchtower, despite knowing inside that there wouldn’t be any new leads on the location of the assailant. He didn’t know if they ever would. The way the villain had disappeared after obliterating, yes obliterating, them in combat — something that hadn’t been done before him, and likely wouldn’t be done again after him…

Nathan was of the opinion that he was untraceable. So far, that opinion had proven correct. The Sentinel was certain the enemy would strike again, and Nathaniel was simply waiting for the villain to show his face again. When he did, all that Nathan could do was hope that they would be ready. Until they actually got a chance to try, he was simply blowing hot air out of his lips when he said that they would bring the villain down.

He knew deep down that they had no chance in hell.

So, Nathaniel was choosing to attack the other elephant in the room; DIscovering if there were more Enhanced out there, and getting in touch with them. It wouldn’t be impossible to find others, if they were out there. Most Enhanced powers were so insane, hiding them forever had to be impossible.

Nathaniel pressed his hand on the scanner in front of the double doors to the Watchtower, and the doors slid open slowly. After he stepped inside, he almost immediately felt a weight lifted off of his shoulders. With the press conference over, he was able to focus on the future, rather than continuing to dwell on the loss of the mayor. Nathaniel didn’t waste any time, heading straight to the elevator and hitting the button that would take him directly to the lab.

Hopefully, there, Austin would have made some headway on finding others like them. If there were others, the Coalition needed to locate all of them to discover if they were good, like the Coalition, or evil, like the one that had taken the Mayor’s life.

The doors slid open, and Nathaniel stepped out into the massive lab, looking around. “Austin?” Once he found him, they could talk. Of course there were lots of places to be in the maze like laboratory, and it didn’t help that Austin could literally turn into gas.

Too young to fade. Too good to lose. By inches, by bits, by pieces, he, a man of morals and ethics, a man that leaves an everlasting impression of kindness, a man of love, is waning. Only sixty six and with a life-changing diagnosis. Two years, five months, and thirteen days in counting. The happenings obscure, the flow of things lost, and the images of loved memories vague. His life turned into a mess, his work was no less a nightmare. The growing discomfort and anxiety from his mind being blocked, like he was, and still is, running into a wall and the visuals of his past were hiding away from him. No matter how much he concentrated, no matter how much he tried to write and recall, no matter how much he lived, he could not remember. He wanted to remember. But what was there to remember if it no longer existed?

Grandpa.

In Downtown Detroit, sporting a large, male black sweatshirt and gray stretch leggings, Serenity Lavi rushed through RiverWalk like a tempest. As she darted past the many visitors, tourists and civilians alike, of this grand, 31-acre state park, all who wanted to take in the breathtaking view of the Detroit River and the city skyline, the relatively small woman kept to herself and avoided the non-stop course of thoughts that correlated with her morning, her week, and her life in general. With fair, olive skin and an avalanche of dark chocolate hair tousled up within a hair tie, she gave no one a chance to register her appearance for more than a second. The constant cycle of motion and the deliberate decision to not stray from one single thought.

Run.

Serenity wanted this moment to be brainless. She would watch the recording of the press conference later. Look through her family recipe book and pick what to make for her grandfather when she visited him next tonight. Don't even get her started with her actually planning her wedding. She'd get to it eventually. Her darling friend, Dottie, constantly reminded her of how she was too focused on everyone else, but herself.

You should hire a planner. That was money she did not want to spend. You should let me help you then! That could go terribly wrong, real fast. Oh, come on! You have enough going on with the mayor being dead and all. Thank you, Dottie.

There was a tightening knot in her throat as she fought through the park, running on the trail beside the river. There was a darkness in the world that marched toward each and everyone of us like an invading army, but with darkness came light. Hope. The line dividing peace and the turmoil, the transition from storm to calm, and the joining of sunshine and water droplets to create rainbows. It was these brief moments, where she had time to close her eyes, feel the warmth of the sun, hear the whistle in the wind, or even just, breath, that reminded her that she could find color in a seemingly colorless world. One's perspective truly mattered in times like these, especially someone in her position, who had a duty to protect and inspire.

Slowly bringing herself to a halt, to catch her breath, Serenity made her way to a wishing well where there were two little girls glancing down at the the clear water, where hundreds of pennies, some green with age, laid. Each penny represented a heartfelt wish or prayer. From selfish wants to desperate needs. This was how things were. People needed hope, even if it was in the form of a penny in a well. In a world of trouble and doubt, we seek a distant star that assures us, yes, there are more stars out there. With the title of being an Enhanced, Serenity was obligated to not be a little girl, who tossed a penny in a well to ease her mind, but to be the star that the penny wished and prayed for.

"My mom wants me to toss my collection." One of the little girls, with blonde curls and a jumper dress on, leaned against the rim of the well, sighing dramatically. It wasn't fair. She liked her collection. "She doesn't want me to be sad when our heroes let us down. When Barrage lets me down." Serenity's blue gaze went from the tiny blonde's face to the action figure in her hand. An action figure of her in full combat wear. The Wonder Woman of Detroit.

"Do you agree with her, Lissie?" The other girl tugged at her friend's sleeve. She had her black hair in a french braid and wore a jean jacket, a white tank, and a red plaid skirt. "Do you believe they'll fail?"

Lissie frowned at her friend's questions and held the figurine tightly in no longer one, but both of her hands. She was only ten. What should she believe? Up until recently, there was peace in Detroit and crime was kept moderately low. Thanks to the heroes of her home who were 'of the people, by the people, for the people', she could sleep without worrying about stranger danger. Up until recently, all her friends had no care in the world and could focus on being children, each relating to one of the members of the Coalition. She aspired to be strong and not be underestimated, just like Barrage, who fought along side other Enhanced but kept at the front lines with her fiancé taking on obstacles that varies in degree heads on. Up until recently, her parents didn't bicker about the Coalition and didn't try to change her opinion on her heroes. "I don't know what to believe, May... but I don't want to give up on them. Do you?"

"If they don't find the nutcase soon, yeah, I'm giving up on them. I don't want to know there's some psycho killer out there. There's always the chance that THEY are psychos too. Have you thought about that? The bad guy is just like them! What if he IS one of them. Who knows what they're fully capable of! I don't want to believe in people that can end my life so fast." May grumbled, spewing out words she heard from her own mother.

Before any of the girls could say much more, Serenity rolled a bronze coin on her knuckles and then tossed it in the well. Staying completely silent, she watched it sink and join the other coins. The two girls looked across the well at the baby-faced woman and said nothing more. Lissie locked her gaze with her eyes. They were like storm clouds right before lightning hit. A whirlpool of apprehension. The color of a clear blue sky through a broken prison wall. Gorgeous and expressive, even with such a stoic face.

There was familiarity with this older woman, but Lissie didn't want to assume. Lifting up her figurine, she compared the two before her lips went ajar at the realization that her assumption was reality. May was too annoyed about the fact that there was a stranger in her domain to really care to look at the woman's face. With a twinkle in her eyes, the blonde widely grinned at Serenity and nodded to herself, coming to terms with what she wanted to do, "I'll believe."

With that, the understated beauty, whose imperfections made her perfect, from the shyness to her to the deceiving frame and face that made her look more vulnerable than she actually was, gave a genuine, comforting smile, causing an unexpected warmth to rush through her devoted admirer's cheeks.

There was a reminiscent glow of happiness that Serenity had coursing through her. A glow that she would not kill. There was someone who still believed in her, she couldn't let her worries, doubts, and woes stop her. Serenity would keep vigilant and continue to fight the great fight because to someone, she was a bright star.

The two girls watched Barrage jog off.

"What do you think she wished for?" May annoyingly asked, crossing her arms and raising her eyebrows in curiosity.

"Nothing." Lissie quietly responded back.

According to Einstein, repeating something over and over again and expecting different results is the definition of insanity. Austin pondered this notion as he sat in his self-proclaimed nerd den, which just so happens to be the lounge area the computer and mechanics lab on the 25th floor of the Watchtower. Since the birth of the Coalition and the acquisition of this lovely office complex made-new, Dr. Daley spends much of his time on this very floor, often accompanied by techno-wizard Solomon Acosta. The entirety of the lab spans three floors of the Watchtower, not including the basement, which stores most of the chemicals and supplies needed for the researching members of the Coalition. Floor 26 is the chemistry or “alchemy” lab, Dr. Thomas’ domain, and floor 27 is biology and medicine, Dr. Bleakley’s territory. Although ‘divided’ by scientific practice, the doctors of the group can be found milling around all floors of the three-part lab, collaborating and - on rare occasions, for Austin, at least - simply socializing. That being said, on this day, Dr. Daley was firmly holed up in his own personal stomping grounds.

Was he insane? The shaggy-haired, scruffy 27-year old looked around himself, gathering evidence to support such a claim. Austin was sitting cross-legged on an overstuffed couch, still wearing his flannel pajama pants. He had a bowl of lucky charms in one hand and a TV remote in the other. Channel 5 news was broadcasting Nathaniel’s press conference on the wall-mounted flat screen. Surrounding the couch was a ridiculous littering of crumpled up fast food wrappers - despite some of the other Coalition members’ insistence that they all remain in peak physical condition, Austin continued to eat whatever he wanted, especially when under duress. And right now? Well, it’s safe to call what is happening right now being under duress.

On the coffee table in front of Austin - where there was always no less than three different cups of coffee in various stages of being drunk on any given day - there was a laptop, currently open to a search engine page, and exactly five coffee mugs. The laptop screen displayed the results of his most recent combination of search word terms. Useless results… yet again. Accompanying the computer was a scattered plethora of manilla envelopes and file folders, both government-issued documents and news reports, and all equally useless in his attempts get a lead on any other potential Enhanced persons in the area. So, here he sat, repeating the same thing over and over again, and expecting different results. Insanity.

Austin thanked his lucky charms that there wasn’t a psychologist among them. Wouldn’t that be awful? The last thing he would need was for it to be confirmed that he was, indeed, insane - “Mad Scientist Superhero” - what an original headline that would be. Austin chuckled to himself, which sounded more like a tired exhale of breath than a real laugh. When was the last time he had slept, anyway? Surely he’d had no more than a catnap or two, not since this thing with the mayor went down. On the topic of mental instability, now, that masked man in the videotape was the truly insane one. Austin hadn’t been the same since watching that tape; It shook him, deeply. It was one thing to see gore and horror in the movies, but to see gruesome, emotionless murder take place in reality… that was something else.

All it took was the feeling of world’s weight settling on his shoulders once more for Austin to set down his cereal bowl, and pick up the laptop again. He was technically a superhero. And, for some reason that Austin still couldn’t quite fathom, children had action figures of him, and they looked up to him. Whether or not he looked or felt like a hero, he had to be one, for them. Austin had to do anything in his power to prevent something like this from happening again. If there were other Enhanced to be found, god damn it, he’d find them! With that thought, Dr. Daley put his nose to the grindstone and continued his search, sipping from the warmest, and hopefully freshest, of the five coffee mugs before him.

“Austin?” Nathaniel’s voice called from a distance, it sounded like it was coming from the hallway. Austin looked up from his computer, confused. Wasn’t Nathan just on the television… and now he was here, at the Watchtower? Channel 5 news had apparently moved on to the weather, and Austin had completely missed the ending of the press conference in his focused, researching state.

“Uhh… yeah… in here!” Austin called back, brushing himself off in an attempt to look less like a complete bum. Oh well, Nathan was used to that sight. If it weren’t for him and Reni, Austin would never look presentable enough for the media’s eyes. “The lounge,” he clarified, realizing ‘here’ probably wasn’t the best description of his location.

The rush of Blur in front of him had barely phased Nathaniel, he wasn’t very quick to react to Jason, the younger man was always off to the next objective in seconds; he always had… too much going on. Nathan didn’t even have a chance to respond before… whoosh, the Blur was off again. Shaking his head, Nathan headed toward the lounge, which he honestly should have checked in the first place. Once he arrived there, the Sentinel stood with his arms folded over his chest.

“I’m almost certain that I already know your answer, but… did you find anything new? Maybe it’s only us and him. That’d make this easier, wouldn’t it? Of course, nothing’s ever that easy. That isn’t even my last press conference this week, things are crazy. I don’t want there to be anymore. If they come, and they side with him, we’re done. We only lived there because he let us and there is no way we survive round two. Not with the way things are right now.”

Nathaniel’s harsh words made Austin sweat a little. Harsh, but true, that was the worst part of it all. “Well… ehh…” the doctor fidgeted in his seat. He sighed dejectedly before setting the laptop back down on the table. “No. Nothing.” He said as quickly as ripping off a bandaid, minus the wince. Hopefully he didn’t wince because, knowing Nathan, he’d probably be chastised for his lack of masculine bravado. Maybe not, things were pretty tense lately, given that there was a crazy super powered criminal on the loose that could literally have killed all of them… and might still do so, when given another chance. “Maybe Wyn or Pat have had better luck?” Austin offered half-heartedly, standing up now as an indication that he’d be willing to go meet with them. It had been a while since he spoke with either of them but, like Nathan just said, he probably already knew the answer to that question…

The answer to that question was no. They hadn’t had better luck, Nathaniel already knew that. He already knew that the actual chances of them ever locating another Enhanced were unwieldy low, at this point it wasn’t even worth the efforts. Nathaniel looked at Austin with a strangely defeated look and shook his head, “No, just… just forget it. Forget about finding them, it probably isn’t going to happen. Let’s focus on things we can do. Do you have… any good news for me? About anything, at all. You can even make something up.”

Austin stared blankly at him. He wasn’t about to lie, but he was supposed to say something here, he could tell. Nathaniel was giving him that look that people give him when they expect some kind of socially acceptable response. “...no?” He said meekly and put his hands in the pockets of his pajama pants, his shoulders slumped with the action.

The darkness that sleep brought dissipated, replaced by the dim lighting of the Coalition’s lab. Wyn’s cerulean eyes faced the metallic underside of a desk, limbs stiff and aching. She wasn’t sure how she got under here, but her mind didn’t linger long on the subject. This was far from the first time she’d fallen asleep in the lab after all. Hell, had it not been for the vibrating phone in the front pocket of her blue jeans, she’d probably still be sleeping. With a grumble, the redhead pulled her Samsung Galaxy out, cursing the caller a thousand terrible fates.

Surprisingly, the caller wasn’t her foster parents. It was… Jason? That in itself was arguably just as bad as her foster parents though. If you wanted to talk about a true paragon of the people, she’d gladly point you in his direction. Yawning and pulling herself out of her sleeping spot, Wyn let her phone go to voicemail, just like always. It was rare that she got a call at all, so she could only imagine that Jason was calling her because he wanted something from her. Well, whatever it was, she didn’t necessarily care. There was more important work to do!

Stretching as her legs carried her over to a chilled cooler, she could feel the sweat laced in the fabric of her clothes. No doubt she didn’t smell the greatest. The past few days had been spent developing a new type of aphrodisiac, something that would surpass the likes of Viagra and Cialis. Why? Because she could, of course! Plus, if this whole superhero thing didn’t work out, she could sell this product and become a hero to the elderly. Her total attention had been devoted to it, so Wyn hadn’t had too many opportunities to change or bathe, save for the occasional wipe down.

Opening the cooler, her tiny hands pulled out a vial of a pale green-ish substance. Behind that vial seemed to be a thousand others, filled with the same liquid. As shut the door, a clear label was visible on its metallic exterior: Caffeine. While some people had to have their daily dose of coffee, Wyn skipped the whole ingestion process and injected the chemical straight into her veins with a sterilized syringe. It was faster and more effective, though potentially more dangerous. Well, more dangerous to the average person anyway.

Within moments, the doctor was feeling much better as the grogginess faded away from her mind’s eye. Now, time to inspect the fruits of her labor. The next cooler she came to was stocked with several vials of a light blue fluid, the new aphrodisiac she had been working on. In truth, the synthesis of this new creation wasn’t all that unique. It was a derivative of phenethylamine, much like the very illegal methamphetamine. Unlike methamphetamine though, it wasn’t quite as detrimental to the body though it did have the possibility of resulting in an addiction. Wyn picked up one of these vials, a smirk on her face as she examined her lovely art. The past few days, she had secretly been feeding the experimental drug to Serenity, albeit in small doses. Today was the day the doctor checked in on her patient!

Thinking about it, flask of aphrodisiac in her hand, she could actually get away with testing its properties on a male. Jason was a man in good shape and could handle any nasty side effects, should they arise. Without another thought, the woman filled a syringe with the substance and marched out the lab to begin preliminary testing.

This wasn’t an uncommon practice for Wyn. Ever since she joined this band of merry gentlemen (and gentleladies), some of them, if not most of them, had fallen victim to some of her less harmful experiments over the years. Considering her penchant for crafting delights that shouldn’t be experimented on live humans, their use as guinea pigs was few and far between, lucky for them. If she hadn’t had something resembling a heart, who knows what the Coalition might have turned into? Perhaps a raving band of monstrosities? It might have been better that way though. Raving monstrosities would have been quite useful in the fight versus the masked man. Probably still not enough, but with enough genetic tampering, it could have been a closer battle.

As the doctor sought her patient, she mused about how she seemed to be the only one who honestly wasn’t all broken up about last week. So what if the mayor of Detroit died? Yeah, he’d been good at furthering the Coalition’s agenda, but time would tell if the next one did to. Even if his successor didn’t, with a bit of “persuasion”, they could be brought into line. As for the public opinion, to hell with it. Most people were idiots, especially Detroiters. And so what if the abandoned section of the city got wiped out? Detroit was a shit hole. Had been since the automobile industry left. Really, there was a lot of positives that could come out of this. Wyn hadn’t told anybody yet, but she’d actually gone out of her way to buy some of the land that had been destroyed. They’d saved loads of money for the city and reduced urban decay somewhat. Now when some prospective buyers came to develop that land, she’d be able to easily make a profit off of it. The loss to the masked man was a shot to the ego for Dr. Thomas, but that was it. Nothing more, nothing less.

Jason, better known to the public as “Blur”, wasn’t particularly hard to find. His reckless abandon left a trail easy to track, though if he had been trying to get away, it would be impossible for her to keep up. Striding up to the man, she pressed the syringe into his hands. ”You only call me when you want something, boyo. Take that, and I’m sure it’ll do whatever you want it to. After all, I’m a miracle worker, I am.” she spoke in her sing-song Southern Welsh accent. “Now, if you’ll ‘scuse me, I have to go find me other patient. And shower. I spent three days gettin’ that perfected, I did.” With a wave, the redhead strode past her companion. Certainly he had questions, but the only way to find the answers was to sink the needle into his flesh and find out what happened. In the meantime, she was off to find Serenity, unknowingly going out into the world looking like a hot mess. Not that it mattered to her, if the doctor’s wild hair and drab clothing said anything.

Out in her car, Wyn took out her phone and selected an inconspicuous app with a simple W logo from the main menu, which brought up your typical map of Detroit. However, there was a single dot located near Riverwalk, this being the location of Serenity. To the side of the screen, a measure of vitals and blood pressure presented itself. Along with the aphrodisiac, the Coalition’s mad scientist had also managed to get a tracking device in the girl. While it was a gross invasion of privacy, Wyn had no idea what effects the drug could have on her friend, so this was a discrete way of monitoring situation. If anything went wrong, then she could show up and help out. Currently, it also served as a great way of tracking this girl down in this big city.

With location in mind, Dr. Thomas let her Camry come to life, and not a moment sooner was she off to find a lost pet.

Turning his attention to the newcomer in the room, Nathaniel shifted his weight slightly and faced Hailey. The leader of the Coalition had to bite back the urge to give her a blatant and honest answer; they were doing poorly. They had failed, and they were continuing to fail. On what was perhaps a slippery slope before the attack on the mayor, the assassination had been the push to send them crashing down. If they were relatively accepted beforehand, they faced open vitriol now. He wanted to tell her the truth, he wanted to tell her that they were fucked, that everything was going to change, that the world probably had more of them in it, and that they would crop up, and that they wouldn’t all be good. That there could very well be more villains out there, possibly even stronger ones than the one they faced.

But Nathan couldn’t.

It wasn’t what he did. No matter what, he maintained a vigilant stance. No matter what, he kept up appearances. No matter what, he did everything in his power to make sure that they were looked upon in a good light. No matter what, the Sentinel could not falter, and he could not fail.

So, he wouldn’t tell her the truth.

Instead, Nathaniel smiled at her confidently, and gave her a nod before speaking. “Of course. Everything is alright, we’re doing our best to make progress on locating the man that fought back and beat us. Once we find him, and any other Enhanced, we’ll work out how to move forward.”

Austin stared blankly at Nathaniel. The guy was lying through his teeth. Just seconds ago, he was telling Austin exactly how he felt - if not through words, than through the bleak disappointment in his posture. How could he do that? Pretend like everything was fine when it was clearly not fine. White lies for the benefit of others was a social construct that flew far above Dr. Daley’s head.

The scruffy nerd turned his attention to Hailey now. He became suddenly aware of the fact that we was not well-suited for interaction with a female; Be it the uncombed-since-yesterday hair, the crumb-covered pajama pants, or the unmistakable coffee breath. At least it wasn’t Serenity. Now, there was a thought that sent him straight into sudden and uncontrolled discomfort, especially with Nathaniel being right there. Without saying a word, Austin turned around and went to the coffee table to gather up the files and articles that he was leafing through. His face felt hot, and he certainly wasn’t about to participate in the whole… charade going on with Nathan.

To anyone else, it wouldn't have been too hard to infer that Nathaniel was lying. To Hailey, she took his word at face value. He was the Coalition's leader, their foundation. He wouldn't lie to them, right? It was true that a week had passed and with every ticking minute their chances of finding this villain were slimming, but Nathaniel seemed confident, and he had never been overconfident before; only right. Hailey had to place her trust in the Sentinel, or else nothing would work.

A genuine smile momentarily flashed across her face as she nodded as if to affirm his words. It was sad that the young woman could claim she knew this man for two years. However, if there was one thing that she picked up on in his reply, it was that he had referred to the fiend as a man. She didn't think too hard on it, but it sounded wrong to her ears.

“Monster," the girl subconsciously commented.

Immediately, she felt heat flood her cheeks and she lowered her line of vision to the floor. She apologized. She was out of place. Brushing back a loose strand of black hair behind her ear, she continued to avoid eye contact with the others. “Um, if you need any help with finding or capturing them, I’d be more than willing to help," Hailey fumbled through her sentence, realizing halfway through that the offer didn't provide much considering she didn't provide much.

She slowly lifted her head to receive her response. From the corner of her eye, she noticed Austin shuffling away from the pair. It seemed like her comment costed her more than she anticipated.

Nathaniel gave her another smile and shrugged his shoulders. Maybe he should just tell her the truth, maybe that would be better for everyone… how much more upset could they be, anyway? “The truth is, Hailey…”

Austin scoffed a little. Find him? Capture him? Good luck with that. The doctor wasn’t usually one to quickly give up, or turn negative on a situation, not when there was hope; But these last few days… they felt hopeless. He was tired, and he felt useless, and just a touch irritable. “The truth is that he is off the radar. We’ll be finding him when he wants to be found, and no sooner. Monsters are...” He sighed away the unnecessary bite to his tone, shuffling the papers into a neat stack as he did so. “...particularly good at hiding in the dark.” He said in a much softer voice, meek, even.

“Monsters are evil. And this is a monster, you’re right. I’m done trying to make things seem better than they are, at least to my team. The fact of the matter is, at it stands now, we’re fucked. We can’t fight what we can’t see, and we can’t see him. We don’t even know if he’ll ever be back. Maybe he will, maybe he won’t. Remember what he said? He’s not doing this for any particular reason, he’s just evil. So if he comes back, what do we do? I don’t know. I can’t tell you what’s right in this situation, because I’ve never been faced with it before, but I can tell you what I’m going to do: I’m going to fight. Until I can’t fight anymore.” Nathan quickly took over for the doctor, who found himself traveling down a darker path than they needed to be right now. Of course he was right; there was little to no chance that they’d find the villain unless he wanted to be found, but that didn’t mean that they were giving up. “These people depend on us, as a unit, for their safety and their security. I won’t let them down, ever again. The fact that I faltered when I did makes me… less than what I want to be. Our city deserves the best, so we will be the best. It’s that simple.” Unlike Austin, who had seemed bitter and simply done with the situation, Nathaniel stayed true to himself and spoke as truthfully and as confidently as possible. Things were laid out in front of Hailey now, and what she did with the information was her own prerogative.

Nathaniel would move forward with the Coalition, or he would do so without them. He would not let the monster win.

Despite Nathaniel's more positive tone towards the end, Hailey couldn't help but feel discomfort. Of course she would stand with her family on what they decided to do, but the fact that someone could commit such a heinous act and simply get away with it left her feeling hollow. And it all came down to power. The only reason he wasn't being held responsible for his actions was because he was stronger than them. And now he was making everyone on edge and indirectly starting internal fights.

Hailey caught her bottom lip between her teeth as she listened to the two higher ups give their opinions on how they should approach the masked opponent. The atmosphere was heavy with tension and anxiety. And the small girl reacted so poorly under those conditions. Both men were wound up from the lack of information, both were blaming themselves, and she was just told that the ones she believed to be the most capable in finding this murderer didn't even have faith that they would. She had come up here to get her spirits up, or at least some good news.

Without meaning to, her jumbled psyche began to levitate the papers off of Austin's coffee table. Slightly panicking, because she was in the lab where there were much more dangerous and valuable items to be messed with, she solely focused her thought to having the sheets simply stop being suspended in the air. Unfortunately, that caused them to scatter and flutter to the floor... and all over the table.

Hailey sighed in exasperation, closing her eyes and slouching forward. Great.

Austin tried to catch the papers that started floating out of his hands to no avail. By the time he reached his hands out, the pages fluttered every which way and scattered about the lounge. For some reason, be it the stress, or the lack of sleep and excess of caffeine, that made Austin laugh. Not an intense laugh, but a light, yet noticeable chuckle. There he was, halfway to the mad scientist trope he had been pondering earlier.

He sobered up from the outburst and put on a more serious face. Serious, but less on edge than a few moments ago. Nathaniel was right, naturally. “Of course, we’ll fight to no end. We’re heroes, it’s our duty and our purpose to protect the people. I’m sorry I didn’t mean--” he floundered a bit, realizing that something had upset Hailey, and it was probably him. That’s why the papers went everywhere, no doubt. “...sorry.” he repeated timidly and started picking up the mess of papers and tossing them in the shred bin. They didn’t serve any purpose anymore, and the confidential information needed to be made illegible.

Nathaniel watched the pair, flustered and embarrassed alike, until Austin let out a laugh. The Sentinel slightly shook his head, and shifted the weight of his feet a bit. “No apologies. Apologizing doesn’t get anything done, all it does is create a vacuum of self blame and self-depreciation, neither of which we as a team need right now. Despite the factor of a missing fugitive, there are plenty of things that we need to take care of.” He looked from Austin, to Hailey, then smiled at the girl. Sure, the papers had flown everywhere, but it didn’t really matter. “You’re improving. I’m proud of you.” Genuine, no sarcasm; never any sarcasm.

After her brief moment of exasperation, Hailey quickly strode over in Austin's direction to assist him with gathering the strewn papers. "I'm sorry," she apologized wholeheartedly as she crouched down onto her knees and picked up the sheets that were on the floor. Despite her earlier offer of assistance, she was more than likely coming off as a burden. The brunette only lifted her head from searching for more loose articles at the sound of Austin's voice. Somewhere along their scouting they had ended up beside each other. However, instead of focusing on the vicinity, Hailey was tuned into the other's words. A childlike, warm smile made its way onto her face.

Good. They were all in agreement to keep fighting for their cause even though they had encountered a sizable obstacle. Ah, yes, there it was: that reassurance that she had come to them seeking. That sense of being united and slowly working the cogs of camaraderie.

Despite the comforting feeling that had overcame her, Hailey was still very quick to shake her head at Austin's apology. Placing a hand on his wrist, she offered him another smile before standing up. Looking behind and around her, the girl made sure she didn't miss any papers. However, when she turned back around to place the sheets in her hands on the table, she was met with the scene of Austin throwing them away. Technically, he was shredding them.

So they really did have nothing. Lightly exhaling, she pursed her lips and tried to not appear too disheartened as she handed the other the stack in her hand. It was fine. This was Austin. He was an expert in his field of study and she didn't lose a single ounce of faith in him from the incident. If Austin Daley could not find this villain with all his intelligence and passion, then no one could. She just had to accept the outcome. And she would.

As if able to read her mind (or maybe she was just that expressive with her emotions), Nathaniel reassured the both of them and managed to bring back the smile to Hailey's lips. This was why she followed him and put her belief in him. He was inspiring and wise. Nodding her head in understanding and affirmation, the smaller girl gave a meek –– albeit slightly embarrassed –– thanks of appreciation in regard to his encouraging compliment.

Yes; she would always fight with them.

And she would soon be given a chance.

Nathan felt a buzz on his wrist, and looked down at the watch he wore upon it, frowning slightly. “Something is wrong…” He said bluntly, scanning the alert that was suddenly apparent on his watch. “Engines are failing on a commercial jet, near the airport. Approximately fifteen minutes before it hits the ground. Come on, we should move now.” Without another word, Nathaniel was already on his way out of the building. How were they going to stop a plane from falling out of the sky? He didn’t even know. Maybe if he and Hailey could get at it together they could slow its fall enough to make sure it landed smoothly, but there were two problems with that: Hailey’s control over her powers was shaky at best, and she didn’t have a good way to get into the air high enough to use her powers on it anyway.

No, he’d have to grab the entire plane with his own powers, and then gently sit it down.

No, yeah okay. Totally easy. I got this.

Good vibes.

Reaching the parking lot, Serenity was welcomed by a well-known cameo. Of course, Wyn was here. When was she not on the search for her? And yet, the mad scientist was not in her vehicle. A usual too. Before lifting her wrist watch up to her lips, to give a voice command, which would call her own vehicle to her, from it’s hiding place (Ren was possessive over it), she scanned the area for her coworker and friend. Her stoic expression was as calm as the dead sea and her hair blew with the gentle breeze. It was a beautiful day, even with all that was going on for the team.

Cherish these short, welcoming moments. That was the best way to take on each day because nothing was for certain. In a split second, everything could change. Someone could die. Peace may be seen as a distant reach but without someone to believe in, without a hero, or heroes, there would be no hope. As long as one person stood firm and believed in the cause, there would always be hope. A hope for a better tomorrow. A hope for… a life of happiness.

Serenity wanted to optimize her abilities. Sure, she was good at what she did because if she wasn’t she would be absolutely destructive, but she knew she wasn’t ‘there’ yet. She wasn’t the best she could be and she wanted to be. She needed to be. With the faceless villain on the loose, not knowing if he would return or not, she couldn’t sit around and wait for him to make his next move. Waiting was something Ren wasn’t fond of doing. Unfortunately, there were somethings that not even The Coalition could do. Were they Superman or Batman? They protected a city, not the world. And as powerful as they were, they were still… human.

The conversation between Ted and Abigail lasted a few minutes more before Abigail said her goodbyes and made the walk back towards the lot where she had left her car. The gentle breeze off the water that played with her blond locks of hair soothed her. She wondered now if there would ever be a time when a light wind wouldn't remind her of the old man who helped her when she needed it most, even if he didn't realize it. Funny how when you spend so much time helping others, you are hardly able to recognize when you may need help yourself.

Abigail pulled sunglasses down over her blue eyes with her right hand, while her left hand spun the key to her Audi S8 around her index finger. One of Abby's favorite thing about wearing sunglasses was that she could scan the crowds around her, without anyone knowing she was watching them. Whether that habit was born from her profession or her natural nosiness, she wasn't sure.

It was while employing this little habit of hers that Abby's attention caught on the sun glinting off a familiar head of dark chocolate. Even mostly concealed by a too big sweatshirt, Abigail would recognize Serenity anywhere.

“Reni!” she called out, hoping to catch Serenity's attention. Although her car was in the opposite direction, Abby changed her course, hurrying instead towards the brunette. Again she found herself fighting against that all too familiar twinge in her right knee as she picked up her pace. She would deal with it... eventually.

Already alert to her surroundings, Serenity did catch the voice of not Dr. Thomas, but Miss Walker instead. There was an underlying feeling in the pit of her stomach that something was off because Wyn would have appeared by now. Wouldn’t she? The doctor looked at Ren as a prized test subject of some sort, doing things like spiking Ren’s food or drink with harmless experiments. A week ago, prior to the Mayor incident, Wyn had appeared out of nowhere, like she usually does, and asked if Serenity had ‘fun’ the previous night with Nathaniel. Prying into Ren’s sex life more so than she usually did.

Turns out, Wyn attempted to activate Ren’s lust by setting a chemical reaction within her body. The results? No comment. And yet, if there was one thing Ren knew about this mad scientist… Wyn was not one to stay in the shadows forever. Her car was here, but not her. Was there a chance that she came to RiverWalk with no aim but to enjoy the breeze? That was kind of unlikely for someone like Wyn.

“Abigail.” Although Ren did not shout, her voice was prominently clear, as she turned her attention to her colleague. Crossing her arms, she strided toward one of her fellow teammates and with raised eyebrows, she asked, “Have you seen Wyn around?”

Abby met Reni at the middle ground between the two, still scanning her surroundings. Now though, it was for a completely different reason as Ren had asked about Wyn.

“No,” Abigail answered with honesty, and a little confusion as well. “Is she supposed to be here?” At that moment, Abby spotted Wyn's car in the direction Serenity had walked from and furrowed her brow. “I'm surprised she left the watchtower. She doesn't usually do things like crowds, sunlight... social interactions.”

Abigail used her fingers to list off all the reasons she was surprised to hear that Wyn had left her secluded hidey-hole in the watchtower. She liked Wyn, well enough, but the two women were never close. Abby found the bustling energy and erratic behavior of Dr.Thomas rather... unsettling at times.

“Unless it involves research.” Serenity turned her head to look behind her, as if for a moment she felt eyes on them, but she was starting to think ever since the mayor died she was getting far too paranoid for her own good. Briefly, she cleared her throat and softened her expression. Surely, Wyn was fine. She could take care of herself, right? There was no use on worrying until they had evidence that something was wrong - Wyn wouldn’t have gotten herself in a heap amount of trouble. That rarely, if ever, happened.

Opening her lips to ask Abigail something else, she stopped herself at the sound of their watches going off. Turning her wrist over, while unfolding her arms, she glanced at the message and her relaxed mode became solemn in a split second, “We need to head to the airport.”

Behind her sunglasses, Abby narrowed her eyes at Serenity. Not in any form of anger or annoyance, but one of contemplation. She was beginning to get the feeling that there was something her friend wasn't telling her. Between the mention of Wyn leaving due to research (a terrifying thought), and the fact that Reni was showing concern over Wyn not being present...

Abigail always found it interesting how quickly things can shift. She didn't even have time to voice her concern, as with a simple beep from a watch the priorities of both girls changed. She was no longer “just Abby Walker”, that beep signified that it was time to become Switcher. Although her external appearance did not change, her mindset certainly did.

Making no move to check her own watch, Switcher fell into step beside Barrage, silently wondering about the mission they were heading towards. She would be lying to herself if she said she wasn't nervous, she always felt at least a small amount of nerves going into a mission. She liked the nerves though, they kept her focused, aware. But this, this was different. This would be her first time out since what she had taken to referring to simply as “the disaster”.

Abby was so busy thinking of exactly what role she would be able to play on a mission involving the airport, that she hadn't noticed Serenity had led her away from her own vehicle. She cursed, her steps faltering for only a brief moment as she saw exactly where her friend had led her.

Or more like, what was meeting up with them. Serenity had taken a moment to bring her wrist watch to her lips and softly say the voice command: “Snowflake.” A pristine, seemingly normal white motorcycle with white led lights came out of hiding in plain sight (it was behind a restaurant dumpster in an alleyway). As if it had it’s own mind, it came to halt in front of the two women. Without any hesitation, Serenity grabbed the helmet strapped to the right handle and tossed it to Switcher. “Put this on.” She locked her blue gaze with the fair blonde, “I’m not going to waste time. You are going to get on this bike and we’re going together. It takes twenty five minutes to get to DTW, my vehicle can cut that by a lot and leaving right now will be in our best interest.” Switcher and Barrage may have not been suited for this emergency, but that should never stop a hero from taking on an obstacle. If you can think on your feet, anything was possible.

Hopping on her bike, she quickly pressed onto the surface of the gas tank, which revealed that there was a subtle touch screen device connected to it and when her finger pressed on the veneer, that area specifically glowed brightly, momentarily. Out of Nathaniel's sweatshirt pocket, she took out her 1.1 FORESITE goggles, which had a field ocular reader installed in it, evaluated strategic intel, technology, and energy, while also protected her eyes. Quickly putting them on, she clipped, “Well?” If there was any hero that got deadly serious, it was Serenity. She took her job undoubtedly serious than most because she knew how it was to lose someone. If Abigail didn’t get on this bike in the next minute, Ren would have no choice but to leave her and that would definitely be noted in Abby’s record back at the base.

It felt like forever, standing there, vacillating between getting on the bike and heading to her own car. However, only mere seconds was all that had passed. Nerves aside, Abby couldn't deny that Reni was correct in her logic. So, with a muttered curse, Abby grabbed the helmet and hopped on to the snow white bike.

She didn't shake, scream, or cry. Only her rigid posture betrayed how nervous she was. Abby had had many conversations with Reni about that death trap that was her preferred method of transportation. Call her crazy, but Abby preferred to have layers of steel and rubber between her and the world when she drove. It made her feel safer. Ironic, since the car usually transported her to a completely unsafe situation. But hey, to each their own.

Speaking of transport, Abby was beginning to seriously wonder about the merits of transporting herself via wings, when Reni hit the gas, sending them off in a white blur like a bat out of hell. With an embarrassing squeak, Abby did the only thing she could, and held on tighter.

Usually, no one first hand, maybe besides Nathaniel and Austin, witnessed Serenity arrive on scene because more often than not she was already there. How her bike looked at the beginning and the end was entirely different during how it looked during its journey. That was something her and Austin had been working hard on for the past couple of years - perfecting what she considered was her child. It still wasn’t perfect, but it was her’s. In Austin’s terms this was the SF211 Model TS 62, but to simplify it, Ren dubbed her motorcycle, Snowflake.

“We got eyes in the sky.” Austin’s voice fluttered in the air out of their smart watches, phones, and Ren’s goggles. The corner of Serenity’s goggles and all the other devices that were connected to the Coalition network, broadcasted live surveillance footage of the plane swooping down - fast - and all that was around it. This was so they could take this mission on at different angles - and think of a plan.

Serenity’s first priority: Get there.

Reading the coordinates, she leaned forward and glided her hand toward the end of her right handle, “Hang on.” She warned Abigail. And without further ado, Serenity took a sharp turn to the left, causing the motorcycle to lean unnervingly close to the ground, all the while pressing on a button, hiding within it. A spark appeared at the end of the back wheel from the rough, yet necessary turn.

As they darted down W Lafayette Blvd, Snowflake transformed into an impressively modfied cycle, which looked like it came straight out of a comic. The bike was powered by a high-performance, water-cooled, single-cylinder engine and geared low, for the pure sake of faster acceleration. There was no exhaust pipes, in actually. The bike Abigail had witnessed before was merely a mirage of what Snowflake truly was. The sudden change was not enough to prepare the poor girl for not only the rush of being on bike, a bike made specifically for someone as bold as Barrage, but for the rapidly building momentum and the shocking hurl in the air, like they were on a fucking rollercoaster without the track. Yepp, this baby had a jump jet and they were airborne! Unfortunately, there was no time to dissect the model and what it can and cannot do.

Clenching her eyes closed, Abigail tried to think of anything other than the fact that her body was dangerously close to scraping the ground at break neck speeds more times than she was comfortable with. Admittedly, the number of times she was comfortable with their speed and angle was a very low one. Zero, if you wanted to be precise. So she thought of anything else that would distract her.
First on her mind was how stupid the name “snowflake” was for the metal beast currently between her legs. Snowflakes were fragile and delicate. They drifted slowly to the ground. The motorcycle did drift, but none too slowly. Matter of fact, the comparison began and ended at the fact that they were both white.

Around her, over the whir of the bike, Switcher heard voices. Some coming from the coms, the other coming from Barrage. Admittedly it was difficult for Abby to register exactly what they were saying. How the Hell Barrage traveled at this speed and still managed to keep her wits about her was beyond comprehension for Abs.

She barely managed to hear Barrage give the instructions to hang on (like Abby would even consider doing anything other than that) before the feeling under the bike switched. Instead of feeling the consistency of the road beneath her she felt... nothing. Switcher had flown many times, it was one of her favorite things to do. Without opening her eyes she knew the damn bike was airborne. Leave it to Reni to have a fucking flying bike.

Oh no, Abigail. This wasn’t a flying bike. As high in the air as they were, as wonderful as it would have been to stay in the air, the motorcycle descended as fast as it went up. It lept, not flew. That was an upgrade for later. The tires were built to handle the pressure and the genius man that was Serenity’s best friend made sure that the landing was always safe, even if it was slightly on the bumpy side. Her eyes weren’t on the road anymore, they were focused on the plummeting plane at the top right of her goggles.

Man, today was a bad day to go jogging at the farthest place possible from the airport. They were running out of time. They needed to go faster. The bike whipped through Southern Ave, passing a green light and causing a traffic jam - no accidents, just a jam. Angry honks could be heard behind them, but faded away as they kept moving forward. Always moving forward.

Time to cut their time even more.

Revving the engine, Serenity smiled to herself as Snowflake roared with pride. Her left hand spent a moment searching for a switch and then... click. This was hardly the amount of speed her baby could do. It was time to rock her nitrous oxide engine. Without a doubt, Ren was on a mission and increasing the internal combustion engine power, especially after Austin’s modifications, which would allow her to do this. Lifting the bike so that they were on one wheel and partially using her energy propulsion ability, which aimed toward the ground, the bike forcibly hit a brick building and then started riding up it. Taking another harsh right, they were suddenly driving across the side of the fucking buildings.

When the bike returned to the ground, Switcher had a brief moment of gratitude. She loved the ground. She would never leave the ground again. If she ever got to stand on it again, she may kiss it. Kiss it, hug it, whisper sweet nothings in it's nonexistent ears... anything to let it know how sorry she was for ever leaving it.

Of course, whatever gratitude she felt was fleeting as another burst of speed came from the bike. The term “bike” didn't seem quite right though. Metalic monster. Hell beast. Death on wheels. All far more appropriate for mass of metal that was suddenly… vertical? Tentatively Abby opened one eye, promptly closing it once she confirmed what her gut already knew. The death trap was scaling the side of a fucking building. Like… what? No. Just… no. As soon as Abigail was off the motorcycle she was going to suggest a name change to her friend. Fuck calling calling it “snowflake”. Screw referring to it as a “motorcycle”. This thing needed to be locked up and never released. She would rather face Cerberus at the gates of hell than ride this thing with her friend ever again.

Speaking of friend, that brought her to the second thought that was circulating through her mind as she did her best to ignore the butterflies swarming around in her stomach. Abigail was seriously starting to consider the fact that Serenity wasn't her friend at all. Maybe, the other girl secretly hated Abigail and all the harmless “do you trust me” moments (which Abby had always blindly responded “yes” to) had culminated in this. Well, shit, wouldn't that be a devious plan. Of course it was far more logical that Abigail was over reacting, but one could never be too sure.

“Nathaniel. How’s it looking? You there yet?” Nonchalantly, Barrage was making a call on her comm connected to her goggles. Although she seemed calm and composed, her surroundings blurring out as they went from building to building, she was anxious because by the looks of it the plane could hit the ground before they even got there. Too much had been going wrong this week. If they failed this, that would add insult to injury. And, well, people would die.

“No. I can’t fly at the speed of light, you know… There’s a bit of a distance. Are you there yet? I think I have to… catch the plane. I don’t have any other ideas. You got anything?”

“Almost. Five minutes, give or take.” Serenity started heading downward, back to the ground, but if Abigail were to open her eyes, she would feel like she was heading straight down to her death. “That’s… what was on my mind too. Realistically, you’re the only one who has any chance at catching it.” Usually, once the Coalition alarms were set off, first responders were too informed and given the deets so they could determine whether this was something they should pursue as well. In this case, yes. If Nathanial was successful, which he would be, positive thinking, there would be a lot of unnerved people that needed to be taken care of.

“I’m thinking waffles if I don’t die. What do you think? Waffles?”

Humor was nice in stressful situations. “Apple cinnamon.” Yes, waffles would be wonderful if this went without a hitch.

Abigail mused silently while the conversation flowed around her. Waffles? Were they kidding. While they planned their next breakfast, Abby’s stomach roiled. Her only focus was not vomiting up the butterflies that had made their home in her gut. They liked it there, They were happy to be smuggled from one side of the city to the other.

“Guys,” she said through tight lips.“i’m all for the yay we will live to see another day talk… but can you lovebirds focus on anything other than food? I’m trying to keep mine down currently.”

Abby’s mouth was dry as sandpaper as she spoke, and although neither of her friend’s responded to her plea, they did stop the talk of waffles, and she could have sworn she heard a chuckle or two over the wind as they all raced towards their current disaster.

“See you there.”

“I love you.” And on that phrase, Serenity’s bike inclined once more until thankfully for Abigail, once again, they were on ground. The airport, and the plane, could be seen off the distance. They were almost there.

“I love you too. Stay safe.”

After another minute had past, the demon vehicle finally came to a halt and if Serenity’s assumptions were right, it was heading straight toward the FedEx Building 723. It looked like it would miss the runway and go straight into the small building. “Come on, we’re running out of time.”

The moment when the bike came to a complete stop ranked on the list of the top ten happiest moments of Abigail’s life. Gingerly, as if expecting it to turn around and bite her, Abigail extracted herself from Satan’s steed, formerly known as Snowflake. She took off her helmet with one hand, shaking out of her mane of blond locks as she steadied herself with her other hand. It would take a few moments to trust her own legs.

“I think we are already on borrowed time, let’s move” Abby said with a muttered curse. Being on scene, seeing the plane and knowing what was at stake, Abby shut off everything in her mind that was detrimental to Switcher. Hopes for the future, fears of motorcycles that defied gravity, all of it was gone as her mind went through every possible outcome of the situation in front of her… and most of those outcomes, despite everything they would try, weren’t promising as the plane hurtled towards the ground without mercy.

Once she had received the much needed reassurance from her leader, Hailey didn't feel overly anxious about the alert she heard from her phone. Rather than retrieving it, she kept her eyes trained on the man in front of her, knowing he would inform Austin and her about the upcoming mission. As the girl anticipated the news, she reminded herself to keep her reaction in tact, no matter what the crisis could be. However, it proved to be more difficult than she thought once the Sentinel told the other two what was happening.

Widening her eyes in disbelief, Hailey exhaled heavily in an attempt to process what she had just heard. Before she could ask about anything, the taller man had turned and headed out. Yeah, she should be leaving soon herself. They only had fifteen minutes at most, if she heard correctly. Closing her partially ajar mouth, the girl instantly pulled off a hair tie that was always on her wrist. Like clockwork, it began to float as her hair quickly placed itself in a French braid. (If they were taking on a plane, she wanted her hair to be as high and tight as possible.) After having to repeatedly get ready quickly, she eventually mastered her powers enough to do her hair like instinct.

Austin went straight into business mode as soon as he felt the buzz on his wrist. The smartwatch was programmed to only alert him in dire circumstances, anything else would be a distraction from his work and, therefore, he had taken it upon himself to eliminate the possibility of such nuisances. He too studied the alert on his watch, before Nathaniel reported it aloud. It was detailed, but not detailed enough for Doc’s liking. Austin wanted the team to know what they were in for; knowledge was power, and power was having a well-informed strategy mapped out. The Coalition didn’t have any more room for slip ups, not now.

Hailey placed her hands over the button and zipper of her jeans as she rapidly brainstormed the best course of action. Her abilities would be significant in this scenario, but she wasn't too confident in how effectively she could use them. She would have to get up to the plane's altitude, and slow its trajectory at the same time. The weight would be another obstacle. But there didn't seem like any other option and time was running out. As a last attempt at optimism, Hailey reminded herself that she had perfectly capable teammates to assist her, and that she had gotten better with what training she had received in the last week.

Shifting completely into Doctor Faze’s mindset now, Austin spun out of the lounge and headed into the computer lab. He poked a button on his watch and speech-to-texted Ghost, asking where he put the hacked surveillance coding files. After a few milliseconds of scrolling through the massive database of information that the Coalition had collected about the city over the years, Ghost responded, and Austin found the files that he was looking for. A click here, a click there, and some furious typing on the keyboard was all it took.

“We got eyes in the sky.” he broadcast a voice message alert to all of the team members’ smartwatches before clicking send on the computers. Nearly instantly after his message, another broadcast went through the Coalition network - reaching all of the team’s HUD headsets, watches, phones, and various other forms of tech. Austin ensured that the team knew exactly what they were getting themselves into by providing live surveillance footage of the plane falling from the sky, and the surrounding areas. They could shuffle through a variety of angles and views to help formulate an ideal plan of attack on the situation.

Rushing his way out of the computer lab with great haste, Austin passed by the lab bench with Hailey’s bow and quiver of modified arrows on it. He was supposed to work on improving them for her, but with all that had went down, and having to research leads for finding the whereabouts of the villain… he didn’t. Frowning, Doc swiped the weaponry off the table and carried it to the lounge to give to Hailey, with an apology, if she was still there.

“Sorry, I didn’t get the ch－” the unceasingly awkward man’s words were cut short when he realized what exactly he had walked in on. Was she just… taking her clothes off in the middle of the lounge? Austin’s cheeks burned crimson red with embarrassment and he looked immediately to the floor, the wall, anywhere else but at her.

Throwing her shirt off and letting it fall off the floor, Hailey looked down at the uniform she had worn under her clothes. Without thinking, she reached behind her back to feel her quiver before realizing it wasn't there. Well, it didn't matter. Her bow would be little help in this situation. Before taking off, she turned to Austin.

“Any ideas on what we should do?”

“Errm… uhh. I brought your－” Austin stammered before holding out Hailey’s bow and arrows. He didn’t turn his gaze up to her yet, but there was a very small part of him that wanted to take a peek. Okay, maybe it wasn’t that small, shy or not, he was still a man.

“Oh.”

Hailey pursed her lips as she took in the weapon offered to her. Instinctively, a hand reached out to take it from her companion. However, she paused when she remembered how irrelevant and little it would help in the situation they were facing. Speaking of which, the brunette turned to look behind her at the screen that was displaying the failing plane. The quickest way to get over there was to fly, and her quiver would most likely just get in the way, maybe even cause some difficulties with wind resistance. Hailey also regarded that she would also have to stay in the air longer than she was used to while activating her ability. She had to minimize the amount of distractions.

Still, it was out of habit that tempted her to take the bow. There was no time to waste.

Grabbing the items held out to her, Hailey sighed and shook her head as she placed them on the nearest table. “I don't think they'll be of much use,” she explained before taking one final glance at the screen. It was go time.

The girl turned to face Austin, a resolved expression on her face. Now was when she had to be all business. “I'm going to fly,” she announced. “Are you okay getting over there by yourself?”

Austin hazarded a chance to look up at her now. She didn’t sound naked, so hopefully she wasn’t. And… there she was, fully suited in her hero gear. This reminded Doc that he should get changed, but he certainly wasn’t sporting his suit under these pajama pants.

“Yeah, I’ll fly too.” He paused and headed towards the closet that he dedicated to his suit. “Do you always... just… have that on?”

Not totally waiting for her answer, as they were on a very urgent time crunch, Austin stepped into the walk-in closet and closed the door. A bit confused at what he was referring to, Hailey glanced down at her hero attire. She didn’t think it was that much of an extra layer. Sure, a lot of the other members had specifically altered uniforms that might have been more efficient, but sometimes disaster struck while you were outside the Watchtower, and you don’t have time to go retrieve your costume.

“Well, I don’t wear it if the clothes I pick that day can’t cover it,” the girl replied.

As she was responding, Austin sublimated his street clothes off and pulled his tight super suit on. The material functioned like a second skin, and was specially designed by himself - much like the suits he made for the other shifters of the Coalition - to bond with his cells and morph in the same way that his body does for his phase changes. He can phase shift in his street clothes, but going backwards after the fact can have some embarrassing outcomes if he loses track of the clothing mid flight - which happens in most cases.

The closet door opened and Doctor Faze emerged, fully suited and ready to fly. Literally. “Time to be heroes. Let’s go give them a reason to believe in us again.”

Hailey beamed lightly as she placed a hand on her friend’s upper arm and gave it a gentle squeeze. A sign of reliability. Doc stared down at the delicate hand that had found it’s way to him. Austin might have blushed or pulled away, but Doctor Faze had more confidence. This felt… nice.

“I’ll see you there.” A sharp nod and she was sprinting toward the nearest building exit. She had to be outside before she could take off.

“Likewise.” Doc said moments before his skin started to shimmer with movement. The atoms of his body chemistry vibrated in place, absorbing the energy of his surroundings. There was an intense static snap in the air before Doctor Faze disappeared, leaving ice crystals on the ground where his feet were, and the air in the room a good 20 degrees colder than it was just moments ago.

Being gaseous was… otherworldly. Ethereal. It was unfortunate that Doc could hardly ever remember being in this form. It was like his consciousness left him when he phased. In a sense, he became little more than a ghost - a cloud of energy - a collection of of atoms that still seemingly worked towards one common goal, without the usual constraints of human thought. Austin might not remember what gaseous form felt like when it was over, but that didn’t detract from the intensity Doc felt while he lived in this infinite moment.

Doctor Faze could go anywhere. Through the pipes, under the cracks of doors, and even through the walls themselves. In fact, the gaseous cloud of superhero did all of those things and then some, as he made his way towards the airport. A few blocks out, Doc snapped back into solid form, causing an intense heat wave. Breathing heavily, he checked the screen on his watch. Pulling his thumb and forefinger apart signaled the display of a zoomed in hologram of the hijacked surveillance footage, which floated above his wrist.

The plane was headed right for the FedEx building. Things looked grim, very grim. “Who’s on site already? I’m coming. Sentinel, what’s the plan?” Doc said quickly into his headset before subliming once more and closing the distance between himself and the scene. He would be back on his feet in time to hear Nathaniel’s plan… hopefully.

Less than two minutes after the alert had gone off, Nathaniel was in the air, headed toward the target, and making brunch plans with his fiancee. What? It helped keep the mood light and kept him from focusing too hard on the simple fact that he would have to catch an entire plane. Four hundred and three tons of plane. That was insane, far more than he had ever done before… but he could do it. He had to do it. Innocent people were at risk.

While not quite as fast as the Blur, the Sentinel moved with speed and urgency. In time, he made it to the area the plane was in — it was just above the airport, going down near the FedEx building; and he could see it in the distance, high in the air. He wasn’t a mathematician, but if he had to take a gander, the plane would touch down rather violently in a matter of minutes.

Fantastic.

“Sentinel, what’s the plan?”

“What’s the plan guys?”

He was the leader, so he had to have a plan, he had to know what to do to save the world and save the day, every time. It was his duty, his job, to protect and serve the citizen of the world, and that meant it was his duty and his job to guide and lead the Coalition as best he could. That meant he gave orders, commands. Just like in the military.

“Alright, I want Barrage and Switcher on crowd control — get everybody out of the danger zone in case we can’t get control of the plane. Blur, ditch the FedEx building.” Nathan ordered, eyeing the runways from the sky. If he was going to put the down, then that was where it needed to be. “Get over to the airport, have them try to keep the runways clear. I’m gonna see if I can’t… catch the plane.” With that, Nathaniel moved higher into the air, closer to the plane, until he was directly in its trajectory — but a decent distance away. Far enough to have a brief conversation before he did his best.

Before he entered a trance of concentration and focused his power on not only stopping the plane from falling, but placing it somewhere… safe, Nathaniel switched his communications channel over to a private line. “Eris — Hailey. Can you hear me?”

Flying was a completely different manifestation of Hailey's capabilities. It was the form of telekinesis she had the most control over. While she didn't particularly excel at it, she was assured enough to claim she had a stable grasp over it. Perhaps it was because she was directly affected by all the energy and could react accordingly unlike objects that had a level of stubbornness embedded into them. Man, was a plane going to be hell to move.

But there was no need to concern herself with that if she didn't make it over to the airport before it crashed. With that thought, the girl got her feet off the ground with a hop and began to ascend herself to a comfortable level of height where she wouldn't have to actively dodge incoming objects while still being able to breath. Despite having the ability to fly, her airways and lungs were still very much human and couldn't adjust to the higher atmosphere accordingly. It was somewhat like takeoff and if she had the time to, Hailey would appreciate the metaphor. Now hopefully the two of them could land without any damage.

Although not the fastest member to possess the ability of flight, Eris was able to make decent time and arrived within the vicinity of the scene just as the Sentinel specifically addressed her. Quickly taking in her surroundings, she spotted a smaller scale of her leader standing toward the front of the plane. This was going to be a challenge.

"Go ahead. I've got a view of you." The small girl had to practically scream into the microphone placed in her collar to be heard over the roar of the failing plane. Having caught his plan earlier, Eris headed toward the back of the plane and concentrated for a full second on suspending herself in the air and grounding her position. Inhaling to mentally prepare herself hurt too much so she focused her power and attempted to pull back.

And holy hell did it hurt.

Her fragile body was jerked so violently in the same direction the plane was falling, Eris was surprised she was still floating instead of hurling toward the ground herself. Instinctively, a scream was ripped from her throat and condensed air replaced it to dry out her windpipes and lungs. If only she could focus on that sensation over the torture that was overwhelming the end of her fingertips and elbow joints. It was as if a force was violently pulling them from her body.

It must have only lasted a mere second, but the pain was too much and Eris had to release her telekinetic hold. As her recoiling mind was dispelling its brief encounter with insurmountable pain, there was a dull registration of something moist against her palms. But she categorized it as the atmosphere or cold sweat. Besides, she needed to concentrate on what to do next. It didn't seem like slowing the plane's momentum was an option any longer.

“Not that,” Nathaniel hissed into the comm system, watching her almost be ripped out of the air by the plane. He looked at the plane himself and held out his hands, taking a deep breath to steady himself. “I want you to move down to the airport runways, that’s where I’m going to put it down. If I can’t do that… then you try and catch it. Okay?”

"But–" Eris attempted to object before remembering that this was the Sentinel who was giving her orders. No matter how worried she was about him or conscious of how much he tried to shoulder by himself, she had to trust him. Because he was trusting her. "Okay."

Feeling the concern for her friend outweigh the doubts of her capabilities, the girl did as she was told and quickly got out of the Sentinel's way. She landed on the runway, looking up with a furrow in her brow. Clenching her hands into fists, Eris resisted to attempt to ease the burden of the plane's weight once more. This time, she didn't register the moisture underneath her fingers.

The plane was seconds away from colliding with him now, and Nate had to do it. It was now or never. Tightening his muscles, Nathaniel let his powers flow through his veins and swarm around the plane. Almost immediately, the momentum of the huge machine started to dissipate. He had to focus, had to think about what he wanted. The plane drew closer, and closer to him as his powers forced it backwards.

Too much weight.

Nathaniel’s powers dropped for a second and the plane went back into its freefall, but he pushed forward, close enough that he could see inside the cockpit of the plane and he steadied himself. With a burst of power unlike any he’d ever given before, Nathaniel stopped the plane in place. He licked his upper lip, and tasted blood.

Meanwhile, inside of the plane, it was utter chaos. And why wouldn’t it be? They were dying, unless the Coalition managed to save them. But the team of heroes couldn’t save anyone, could they? None of that mattered to one particular person in the plane, a little girl realized why the plane had stopped: The Sentinel! He was here, she had to see him. Clutching her Coalition lunchbox, she began her adventure: to the front of the plane.

Ignoring the chaos that surrounded her, the young girl shoved her way through all the panicking people and to the cockpit. Nobody thought to stop her; all the training in the world never prepared someone to act properly in the heat of the moment, and when death was this close.

The flight attendants paid her no mind, nor did the pilots as she climbed atop the control panel and peered through the glass windows. Yes! There he was! The Sentinel, her hero. Well, one of them. Really… all of the Coalition were her heroes. Now, she couldn’t talk to him, not at this distance… so how would she address him? She did the only thing she could think of: she made direct eye contact with the Sentinel, and stuck her tongue out at him.

What.